Feature
Optimal Hospital Care for Native Americans
(from the January 2021 ACP Hospitalist)
Facing an influx of seriously ill Native American patients with COVID-19, the physicians at Albuquerque's University of New Mexico (UNM) realized they needed to boost their cultural competency.
I.M. Internal Medicine
Spotlight: Brian F. Lich, MD, DTM&H, FACP
Find out more about why Dr. Lich chose general internal medicine, what his typical day is like as a physician, and his surprising hero of fiction.
ACP Council of Student Members (CSM) Spotlight
How ACP Stands for You
The year 2021 is off to a rocky start. A new SARS-Cov-2 variant that is 50% more contagious spread across the country. A slow vaccine rollout has yet to slow the surging number of new Covid-19 cases. The presidential transition was overshadowed by a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol and the specter of a second impeachment.
Medical Student Perspective
My Medical Pathway
I was raised by an unemployed single mother in a household that was below the poverty level. As I was growing up, even though I was a child, I was able to detect the health disparities that were present in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's health system.
Advocacy Update
COVID-19 Vaccine Forum II: Promoting Vaccination
(from the January 8, 2021 ACP Advocate)
ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine hosted a panel of experts who provided unique insight and practical information related to what physicians and other health care professionals can do to promote COVID-19 vaccination confidence and uptake. A recording of the forum and a summary of key takeaways are now available.
Access the forum recording summary here.
ACP has recently added a coronavirus vaccine resources page. The resources reflect ACP's guidance in the realms of clinical, public, and ethical policy, as well as educational materials and recent developments concerning COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution.
Analyzing Annals
Clinical Practice Points: Attitudes Toward a Potential SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine. A Survey of U.S. Adults and SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Acceptance: We May Need to Choose Our Battles
Once a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, maximizing uptake and coverage will be important. This national survey explored factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. The results suggest that multipronged efforts will be needed to increase acceptance of the vaccine. The editorial discusses why closing the intention-to-behavior gap is likely to have population health benefit.
Annals of Internal Medicine is the premier internal medicine academic journal published by the American College of Physicians (ACP). It is one of the most widely cited and influential specialty medical journals in the world.
Winning Abstracts
Influence of Default Order Sentence Standardization on the Prescribing Patterns of Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen Combination Products
Opioid misuse, dependency, and overdose is currently a significant concern in the United States. In June 2016, pre-built order sentences details for solid oral hydrocodone-acetaminophen products in Cerner, the electronic medical record (EMR) system used at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), were updated and standardized to maximize safety of dosing regimens and promote adherence to the CDC's opioid prescribing guidelines. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of an EMR default order sentence change on the prescribing patterns for hydrocodone-acetaminophen combination products.
Want to have your abstract featured here? ACP holds a National Abstracts Competition as part of the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting every year. Find out more at ACP Online.
Subspecialty Careers
Neocritical Care
Neurocritical care medicine focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening diseases of the nervous system, including brain and spinal cord trauma, cerebral edema, ruptured aneurysms, severe strokes, encephalitis and meningitis, refractory seizures, and complicated brain tumors.
Dementia
Alzheimer disease (AD) and other dementia syndromes are becoming more common; an estimated 5.5 million adults aged 65 years or older are living with AD in the United States. It is important for primary care physicians to gain knowledge in this field because most community-dwelling older adults receive their care from them. This article discusses the latest findings in approaches to prevent cognitive decline as well as dementia screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Approaches to address quality of life for persons with dementia and their caregivers are also discussed.
NEW ACP Future IM Meeting
Save the Date: May 14 & 15, 2021
Although both Medical Student Members and Resident/Fellow Members are welcome to register and attend ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2021, the College will be holding a separate meeting for trainees called the ACP Future IM Meeting. This meeting will be held virtually on Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15. Students and residents may register and attend both meetings.
The ACP Future IM Meeting will focus on the specific needs and interests of medical students and residents and will include most of the valuable sessions and activities normally offered during the IM meeting as well as many new sessions. Be assured that both Doctor's Dilemma and the ACP Abstracts Program will both have a presence at the meeting. Meeting registration to the ACP Future IM Meeting will be free to all Medical Students and Resident/Fellow Members. More information and registration coming soon.
Trainee Stories Needed for Story Slam
Deadline to Submit: March 19, 2021
Although the ACP Future IM event page is not yet on the ACP website, we want to start soliciting/spreading the word for a story slam happening during the meeting. We need 10 participants to speak on the theme: lessons learned from the pandemic as a trainee.
Medical students and residents/fellows must be ACP members, but they do not need to be registered or be “present” during the story slam on May 15. As you'll see from the directions on the submission form, you need only submit your information and a URL to your 5-minute story. Selected stories will be edited together for the hour-long story slam. Submit your story.
ACP IMpact is copyrighted ©2021 by the American College of Physicians.